For Johnson, Kenseth race for Chase not sort of heated contest as many

10:16 PM,
Oct. 26, 2013

Jimmie Johnson isn't offended by the good- natured jabbing between the pair.

Written by

Nate Ryan
| USA TODAY Sports

Having lost his championship lead for the first time during the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Matt Kenseth sent Jimmie Johnson a biting text message this week.

Was it a defiant and intimidating salvo that he wasn't conceding the title? A veiled threat of retribution Sunday in the tight confines of Martinsville Speedway? A gratuitous taunt that Kenseth's two young daughters are cuter than Johnson's pair?

Nope. Just a sardonic quip between two friends who also happen to be separated by four points with four races left in a Chase that is unfolding as a furiously tight duel between the two winningest ...